Catalog
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| Issuer | Alexandria (Egypt) |
|---|---|
| Year | 164-165 |
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| Composition | Billon |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse description | Central type depicting a dextrarum iunctio — two clasped right hands rendered in bold relief, symbolising concordia and the joint rule of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus. The Greek legend ΟΜΟΝΟΙΑ (Homonoia, meaning Concord) arcs above the hands along the upper field, while the regnal year date L Ε (year 5, corresponding to 164–165 AD) is inscribed in the lower field beneath the hands. The design is characteristic of Alexandrian provincial coinage celebrating the harmony between the two co-emperors. |
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| Mintage | ND (164-165) |
| Additional information |
Year 5 of Marcus Aurelius's reign coincided with the early phase of the Parthian War, fought nominally under co-emperor Lucius Verus. The ΟΜΟΝΟΙΑ ("concord") type issued at Alexandria during this period almost certainly references the ideological harmony projected between the two rulers — a joint reign that was constitutionally unprecedented and required sustained propaganda to legitimize. The Alexandria mint was unusually active in year 5, producing a wide range of reverse types tied to this theme.
Billon coinage from the Alexandrian mint deteriorated markedly in silver content across the Antonine period; by the 160s, the tetradrachm's fineness had fallen well below what the denomination's name implied.